SKATE TIP OF THE WEEK
Inline secrets from the world's top skaters and coaches

This week's tip:

Using a Heart Rate Monitor to Avoid Overtraining

By Francisco Ramirez
Sept. 7, 2007

We like to think that the more we train, the better we perform. But sometimes, we overdo it and our training becomes too much of a good thing.

The reason for this is overtraining, which is what happens when we don't give ourselves enough time between workouts to rest and recover.

Fortunately, it's easy to avoid overtraining. All you need is a heart rate monitor and the discipline (despite the natural urge to skate) to heed its warnings.

How To:

First, determine your resting heart rate.

Do this by noting your heart rate first thing in the morning, preferably before you start a new workout routine. Resting heart rates for non-athletes are usually around 70 beats per minute (bpm). With training, the rate drops, usually into the 60s or 50s, but sometimes as low as the 30s.

After you have determined your resting heart rate, get out there and train.

The next morning, recheck your resting heart rate. Is it the same as before? If so, you are ready for another hard workout.

If it is 10 bpm higher than your original resting heart rate, you are still not fully recovered. In that case, do an easy (active resting) workout, no more.

If your resting heart rate is 20 bmp higher than the original, take the day off. Check your heart rate again the next morning. If it's still elevated, take another day off.

Alternate Method

Another way to make sure you are not over-training is by monitoring your "delta" heart rate.

To do this, lie down and watch your heart rate monitor. When it goes as low as its going to get, which could take two minutes, note the number.

Now stand up. Your heart rate will spike. Wait for it to stabilize. Then subtract the reclining rate from the standing rate. The smaller the number, the better.

If the number is:

• 0-20: You are good to go. (0-9 is considered excellent; 10-20 is considered average.)
• 20-30: Do a light workout (active rest day).
• 30-over: Take the day off.

Francisco Ramirez is a speed skater and coach based in Roselle Park, NJ. He started skating in his native Colombia on quads and won a junior national championship, on inlines, in 1995. A week later, he immigrated to the United States, where he opened his first of several small businesses. He has been a member of the High Gear, Unity and Canariam speed teams. Currently, he manages K2-Empire Speed and coaches Excel Speed, an indoor team based in Hackettown, NJ. Last year, he finished ninth in both the New York 100K and a2a. He is a regular contributor to the Inline Planet.

• New York 100K

Related reading:

• Skate Tip of the Week Archive
• Beginners Guide to Outdoor Racing
• Beginners Guide to Inline Skating